The rise and prevalence of social media has led to an increased sense of community across the globe. Through the daily posting of photographs, videos, and news stories on social media, we share in the joys of new babies, new homes and new jobs, as well as the tragedies that befall us, like an unexpected illness, financial crisis or death of a loved one. Thanks to this new sense of community, it has become more common to contribute financially to those in need through fundraising campaigns which are shared on social media.
This is accomplished through “crowdfunding,” defined as “the practice of obtaining needed funding (as for a business) by soliciting contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community” (see “crowdfunding” at merriam-webster.com). Unlike crowdfunding for business purposes, websites like GoFundMe.com and YouCaring.com allow individuals to quickly and easily start fundraising campaigns, proceeds from which are often donated to individuals or families in need. YouCaring.com boasts having raised over $500 million through fundraisers, with GoFundMe.com raising over $3 billion. Crowdfunding donations have offered invaluable help to thousands of people who have unexpectedly fallen on hard times.
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